Something deeper than instinct.
Something that makes me want to keep her safe.
Keep her close.
Keep her mine.
Did I say I was falling? Fuck that. I’m already gone for her.
“You sure?” I murmur, my voice low.
Because I know if I get her inside, I’m keeping her there. But it needs to be her choice.
Always.
Hadley nods, and my soul sings.
But her breath’s a little uneven. I can see her pulse—all wild and rapid—and I can feel her heart racing inside her chest.
“Yeah,” she says softly.
I don’t move right away.
Can’t.
Because she’s standing there in that pink polka dot dress—soft, sweet, clinging in all the right places—and all I can think about is peeling it off her slowly.
Taking my time.
Learning every inch.
I drag my gaze back up to her face before I do something reckless.
“Come on,” I say, forcing my hands to loosen just enough to guide her instead of hold her. “Let me show you the place.”
Inside, the house is warm.
Wood floors, freshly finished.
Open space.
Clean lines, but not cold—never cold.
It almost feels like a home.
Like my home.
Ours?
No, that’s too fast.
But it could be.
Someday.
I can see it now that she’s standing in it.
Her footsteps are soft as she walks ahead of me, looking around, fingertips brushing over surfaces like she’s taking it all in.
